Brief update

Hey folks,
It's been a long times since my last post -my apologies.  Just now getting steady access to the Internet and training keeps us insanely busy.  And I've been sending out e-mails instead of blogging.  But I hope to get into a routine where I journal periodically on this blog when things settle.

I learned last Saturday that I'll be shadowing a Peace Corps volunteer who is in Kilimanjaro region all next week.  Moshi is the closest city large city nearby but the village in is Same (saw-may).  They call it shadowing, which implies I'll be shadowing the volunteer, when in fact it's the volunteer who shadows me while I teach their classes. The experience is intended to give us trainees an idea about what it's like to volunteer in the villages.

And next Saturday we learn where it is we'll be placed and what we'll be teaching.  Everyone is extremely excited to know and looking forward to settling into one spot for a spell, gaining some independence from the rigors of training and slowing life down just a bit.  It seems as if every last minute is scheduled for us during training and it becomes a grind quickly.  Everyone is enduring; so far all 39 trainees are still here, though one was hit by a motorcycle and spent time in Dar recovering.  She's fine now, but required a bunch of stitches and is still on crutches.  Transportation in Tanzania is the biggest threat to our (everyone's) safety.  One gets the vague sense of order on the highway, but almost anything goes, including riding your motorcycle on the "sidewalks."  Crazy happenings . . .

Today is my last day of teaching at Educare school.  It's been our workplace and Kiswahili study area for three weeks now.  The experience we've gained teaching has been valuable, everyone agrees.  But we're all looking forward to getting in a full year of teaching with the same class and not being regarded as substitute teachers.  Tanzanian students are a polite version of American students regards how they treat substitute teachers.  They are respectful, but they will push you if you let them.  And they speak their secret language called Kiswahili to talk about you.  Little do they know I'm beginning to understand what they're saying - ha ha!

Off for a bucket bath now - have a great day!

Will